James Irvin in talks to replace Chael Sonnen at UFC 102 against Wilson Gouveia
by Jesse Holland on May 1, 2009 12:51 PM EDT
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James Irvin, who was forced to withdraw from his UFC 98 bout against Drew McFedries due to injury, is in talks to fill in for Chael Sonnen at UFC 102 against American Top Team (ATT) standout Wilson Gouveia in a 185-pound affair set for the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore., on August 29, according to MMAWeekly.com.
Sonnen was yanked from the Portland event to fill in for a gimpy Yushin Okami against Dan Miller on May 23 in Las Vegas on a card that has been riddled with injuries and multiple roster changes.
Irvin (14-5) tested positive for Methadone and Oxymorphone after his first round technical knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19. "The Sandman" — who was nursing a broken foot just weeks before accepting the bout — claims that he used the banned substances to mask the pain associated with the injury.
He has a split record (4-4) in eight fights for the promotion.
Before the loss to Silva, Irvin rebounded from an injury-riddled and bizarre 2007 fight campaign, during which he blew out his knee in a loss to Thiago Silva and was knocked silly courtesy of an errant Luis Arthur Cane knee that resulted in a disqualification win, to knockout Houston Alexander in record time at UFC Fight Night 13 this April.
But the momentum was cut short once again in 2008. And he’ll have to try get it going in 2009 against the dangerous Brazilian.
Gouveia (12-6) is also coming off a disappointing loss – Nate Marquardt went bananas on him in the third round of their fight at UFC 95, unleashing a sensational barrage of strikes from all different angles for which he had no answer.
It was a bout that could have propelled him to the front of the division title contender pack, which has all of a sudden become a rather crowded place. However, it just wasn’t meant to be … for now.
Gouveia recently notched a submission win (armbar) over late replacement Ryan Jensen at UFC Fight Night 15 in his divisional debut back in September. He also smashed Jason MacDonald with vicious elbows at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale to score an impressive first round technical knockout in Dec. 2008.
This will mark the fourth fight for Gouveia at middleweight. And with losses to top division players such as Marquardt and Goran Reljic, he will need to prove that he can hang with the big dogs when he collides with Irvin in late August.
UFC 102 is expected to feature a main event between Randy "The Natural" Couture (16-9) locking horns with Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira (31-5-1) in a dream match-up that most fans expected to see before Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir played spoiler roles in the opening round of the mini heavyweight tournament created in late 2008 to crown an undisputed division champion.
Also slated for the main card is perennial light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine (14-5-1) who has been tapped to replace Forrest Griffin in a 205-pound slugfest against hard-hitting Brazilian import Thiago Silva (13-1).
To check out the latest UFC 102 fight card and rumors click here.
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yes yes yes!!! 102 labelled event of the year!!!
- jared
by Jared on May 1, 2009 12:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Are you in Portland Jared? I’m debating on going. I might just try to hit the weigh ins or something of that nature.
by LJ on May 1, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh yeah this event is shaping up~
i really like this match-up!!
i gots my boy willy-g via tko…
say word~
by stinky~fingers on May 1, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Stinky-
I don’t know. I thought Wilson would give Nate a harsh fight and he just got overwhelmed.
I still think Irvin is too stiff but now I am undecided.
I hope W proves me wrong.
BTW – you going to Philly?
by OJR on May 1, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
man i would love to see this fight
i like irvin …. just dont like his voice reminds me of tito
gouveia has a better skill set but if it is kept standing i think we could see irvin take this
by ufcaddict on May 1, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Stinky my man I am gonna have to say your boy is getting KTFO’d lol.
by NM on May 1, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not going to make any predictions for this fight. I’m just intrigued to see Irvin at 185. I know he won’t be a top contender there, but he hits hard and brings it.
by Jeremyjackson on May 1, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah i see irvin being a contender really with his knockout power irvin vs leben NEEDS to happen asap..
people ask how irvin makes 185 but think about the year he’s had off i’m sure he shed a few lbs before he said he wanted to drop that weight
by randy murders on May 1, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I gotta get on a Wilson thread. I actually like this fight better for him than the Chael fight. All I can say to Wilson is cardio, cardio, cardio. Everytime time he loses it’s because he gasses. Wilson can still make noise at 185 and will always be one of my favorites. This fight will be fireworks and Irvin is getting KTFO! Word!
by BNF on May 1, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
imo~ irvin i a punk!.. this should be an easy fight for willy-g.
especially what bnf said on the cardio tip’..
if he is doing something about his coditioning? he should win no problem.. wil is a game oponent for any mw.
i might be biased cause i hate irvin and im a huge willy-g fan!..
but i still see wilson ftw.. irvin should be in strikeforce~
ogr~ i will be at the philly event~ no doubt!
by stinky~fingers on May 1, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whats wrong with Irvin Stink??
I think he is an exciting fighter to watch and always brings it! Gotto love his H/L finishes too.
Even his drugs issues i can let slide. He only took em so he didn’t have to pull out of the fight as it was such an opportunity and he didn’t want to let the UFC down.
WG is still gonna have too much for him tho.
by Nick J on May 1, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think willy G is a class or 2 above Irvin. I cant see Irvin beating Wilson! sorry Irvin fans!
by john on May 1, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
didn’t you say that when he fought Nate?? lol I tend to agree though…Willy will be too much on the feet
by McArthur on May 1, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Irvin has a shot against anyone that he can put hands on. Wilson better be diving for takedowns early because even with a tough chin, he could get cracked. That said rd 2 sub for willy.
by NameNotRequired on May 1, 2009 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wilson definitely has a better skill set but i’m telling you now if irvin can keep this standing he will KO wilson
by ufcaddict on May 1, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
man i wish im only 15 if i was 18 id take a drive up there but a couple more years haha
by Jared on May 1, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lol you talk a big game for a 15 year old sometimes. haha thats cool
by Cogito Ergo Sum on May 1, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Haha,i was waiting for your reply,i post you the news in the maia thread! :-)
by Alpha Male 360 on May 1, 2009 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I LOVE when fights gets better… awesome!
by JonnyBoy on May 1, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
can irvin realy make weight and look good in the 8. yes he can irvin by KO. because of how willy G looked against MQT. irvin and MQT are not the same fighter. yes but it aint going to the ground. superman punch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by bellio on May 1, 2009 1:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’m in Vancouver, but I’m probably going to 102.
by Jeremyjackson on May 1, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Haha, sorry to hear that bud. You going to 102?
by Jeremyjackson on May 1, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
lmao~ very funny!
jerjack~ i didnt know u reside in vancouver.
i was just there last month! i love it there~
by stinky~fingers on May 1, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, stinky. The summer here is wicked. It rains a lot the rest of the year, but it’s damned beautiful. Next time you are coming, let me know! Take ya out for a pop or three.
by Jeremyjackson on May 1, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We are talking MMA not your fairy fantasy’s.
by NM on May 1, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This should be a SCRAP-FEST. Irvin is the man; you can just tell he wields devastating power.
by Jammin on May 1, 2009 2:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Confusing stuff for a minute I thought that Chael had been pulled from the 98 card for Irvin, even though Sandman had been pulled from another fight on the same card. Hard to keep up with all of these fight changes. Anyway, I don’t see Irvin doing much in this fight Gouveia should be too much for him standing and on the ground. I’m not a big fan of either fighter but I think Wilson is a much better fighter and he’s also had more fights at 185 so the weight cut shouldn’t be a problem, as long as he has gotten over his past weight issues. Irvin’s coming back from a long lay-off and Gouveia should be focused after getting KO’d by Marquardt so this has all of the makings of an early KO win for Wilson.
by David W-S on May 1, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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